"Bollywood," a fragrant curry atop the cultural stove, is not new. But mainstream America is now taking a peek under the lid of this roiling pot of Indian pop culture.

For 50 years, the Bombay film industry has produced a torrent of exuberant Hindi-language flicks. Clocking a minimum of three hours, they are a riot of color, music, emotion and dance.

This past spring, Bollywood finally received Western culture's imprimataur of acceptance: an Oscar nomination for "Lagaan," a 20th Century Fox -- produced film, and an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.

Closer to home, Bollymania is all over the map.

In June, a crush of fans descended upon Milpitas' Planet Bollywood when Gulshan Grover, the Bruce Willis of Bollywood, attended the gala opening. The 500-seat restaurant, founded by Internet wunderkids and brothers Gurbakash and Taj Chahal, is decked out with film memorabilia. Plasma TV screens keep patrons up to date on new videos and movie gossip. The Indian cuisine includes the now-vogue Desi-Chinese (Chinese food flavored with Indian spices). Monthly film events and a weekly nightclub are in the works.

Fremont is headquarters to Naz8 Cinema, one of the only multiplexes in the country that screens Bollywood films. The single-screen theater, opened in 1990 by Shiraz Jivani, has morphed into an empire, with four theaters in the Bay Area (Sunnyvale, Cupertino and two in Fremont) and one in Los Angeles. Jivani hosted the Bay Area premiere of "Monsoon Wedding" and at a July screening of "Devdas," more than 50,000 movie buffs showed up.

Even stylemiester Stanlee Gatti became a Bollywood devotee three years ago during a trip to India.

"I got addicted to the videos," says Gatti. "They're unbelievable - each one is like a Busby Berkeley extravaganza!"

For Gatti, it's also about color: "Gone are the days of "Armani' beige," says Gatti. "Go into any store and look at the pillows. The beading and wonderfully gaudy colors are pure India."

Of course, now that Bollywood is on the masses' radar screens, design gurus like Gatti are ready for the next new thing.

"We've done India," he says. "Now we have to mix it with France. 'Cuz it's all about the French. French, Morrocan and Indian. The Indian influence goes hand-in-hand with the new "bohemianism'."

Eventually, we'll catch up with Gatti. In the meantime, it's Bollywood -- at theaters everywhere.